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The Trade Union Crisis of 1976–1979

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The Political Economy of Britain in Crisis

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Abstract

Drawing upon the social contract and the Winter of Discontent as case studies, this chapter demonstrates how the media reporting of events, along with narratives of over powerful trade unions from politicians facilitated notions of blame. It asks how trade unions came to be blamed for growing (or perceived) economic problems of the 1970s. It also traces key popular narratives which emerged within the decade and became synonymous with excessive trade union power, such as the famous headline “Crisis? What Crisis?” Finally, the analysis demonstrates how media’s narration of events over emphasised the power of trade unions to create industrial disruption.

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  1. Department of Politics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside, UK

    Christopher Kirkland

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Kirkland, C. (2017). The Trade Union Crisis of 1976–1979. In: The Political Economy of Britain in Crisis. Building a Sustainable Political Economy: SPERI Research & Policy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59238-1_2

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